NO. 1: COLLEGE BASKETBALL

NCAA MEN’S TOURNAMENT PAIRINGS ANNOUNCED

Details/TV: Sunday, 2:30 p.m., Ch. 2

On this important day in the life of college basketball, you’ve got to make sure all your clocks are synchronized – seriously, because daylight saving time kicks in, and unless you spring ahead, you’ll be late for the party favors going out to 68 programs.

According to those who claim to master in bracketology, there’s an unusually wide net over the four possible regional top seeds: The Big 12’s Kansas (27-4), Oklahoma (24-6) and West Virginia (24-7), the Big East’s Villanova (27-4) and Xavier (26-4), the SEC’s Texas A&M (24-7) and the ACC’s North Carolina (25-6), Virginia (26-4) and Miami (24-6).

That also gives allows some traditionally well-coached programs to lay in the weeds a bit, like defending champion Duke (22-9), Kentucky (23-8), Indiana (24-6) and Michigan State (26-5) – the latter of which has an interesting case. The Big Ten Spartans, No. 1 in the AP polls from weeks 5-8 as they built a 13-0 mark, fell back for a while but returned to No. 2 in last week’s writer ratings. But according to the latest Ratings Percentage Index (that’s RPI, people, keep up here) the Spartans are just somewhere between the 10th and 20th spots. Yet, on the Basketball Power Index (BPI), which might do a better job judge how a team has performed beyond wins and losses and how “powerful” it likely will be going forward, Michigan State is solid at No. 4.

Oregon (25-6), meanwhile, came into last week No. 4 in the RPI, with Utah (24-7) at No. 8, so if either emerge with the Pac-12 title, there’s a strong chance they could land a No. 2 seed and stay in the West (Spokane the first two games, then to Honda Center in Anaheim).

In this open field, remember that we’re also going to pass on Rick Pitino’s Louisville (23-8, No. 11 in the latest AP poll) and Larry Brown’s SMU (25-5, No. 24) because of a post-season ban. And Ben Simmons of LSU (18-13) may be everyone’s lock as the first overall NBA draft pick this summer, but the Tigers are on the verge of missing a spot – just as Simmons is now ineligible for Wooden Award consideration.

NO. 2: COLLEGE BASKETBALL

PAC-12 CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT

QUARTERFINALS

USC vs. UCLA

They’ve just finished mopping up the blood from UFC 196 in the Grand Garden concourse, and here comes another battle royal. The seventh-seeded Trojans (20-11, 9-9) finished the regular season stumbling into a sixth-place tie with Arizona State and Washington, but they were dropped a spot based on head-to-head meetings. Otherwise, the Trojans could have sidestepped this awkward rematch with the 10th seeded Bruins (15-16, 6-12), who have no one to blame but themselves for coming into this event on a four-game losing skid. USC handily beat UCLA in the two conference meetings, the last one an 80-61 triumph at Galen Center on Feb. 12, but then lost six of its last eight. USC is on that NCAA bubble; UCLA has to win out or consider an NIT invite – possibly against USC again. You’re in Vegas. Roll the dice and see who craps out first.

Since the move to Vegas in 2013, the tournament has been won by Oregon, UCLA and Arizona. We like Utah’s chances of messing things up this time, and we won’t rule out Cal. Or Colorado. Or Washington.

The quarterfinals, where Oregon, Arizona, Utah and Cal got a pass as the top four seeds, are Thursday on the Pac-12 Network (noon, 2:30 p.m. and 6 p.m.) and FS1 (8:30 p.m.). The semifinals Friday split between Pac-12 Network (6 p.m.) and FS1 (8:30 p.m.) FS1 has Saturday’s final at 7 p.m.

NO. 3: COLLEGE BASKETBALL

BIG WEST CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT

QUARTERFINALS

LONG BEACH STATE vs. UC RIVERSIDE

Details/TV: At Honda Center, Thursday, 8:30 p.m., Prime

Top two seeds Hawaii (24-5, 13-3) and UC Irvine (24-8, 13-3) have resumes to advance beyond this automatic bid event, but Long Beach State (18-13, 12-4) has a much better strength of schedule (84th overall) than Hawaii (274th) or UCI (147th). Let’s see how that plays out.

The semifinals are Friday (6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m., ESPNU and ESPN2) with the final Saturday (8:30 p.m., ESPN2)

NO. 4: COLLEGE BASKETBALL

WEST COAST CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT

SEMIFINALS

PEPPERDINE vs. SAINT MARY’S

Details/TV: At Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Monday, 6 p.m., ESPN

The Waves (18-12), the No. 4 seed, advanced to this round knowing they’ve twice already have knocked off the top-seed Gaels (26-4) in the regular season. Most recently, it was 88-76 at Malibu on Feb. 20 as Stacy Davis had 20 points, 12 rebounds and became the school’s all-time leading scorer. In the second semifinal: Second-seeded Gonzaga (24-7) faces third seeded BYU (23-9) (8:30 p.m., ESPN2). Tuesday’s final is 6 p.m., ESPN.

NO. 5: NHL: KINGS vs. WASHINGTON

Details/TV: At Staples Center, Wednesday, 7:30 p.m., FSW

Expect a nice video for former Kings’ playoff hero Justin Williams, who took a two-year, $6.5 million deal to join the Caps and not allow the Kings to take a cap hit. Then there’s Alexander Ovechkin, who had a four-game goal streak end in the Caps’ 3-1 win over the Kings back on Feb. 17 in D.C., is another. Washington also went 0 for 5 on the power play that night despite the fact it leads the NHL in that department.

NO. 6: NBA: LAKERS vs. CLEVELAND

Details/TV: At Staples Center, Thursday, 7:30 p.m., TNT

NBA: CLIPPERS vs. CLEVELAND

Details/TV: At Staples Center, Sunday, 12:30 p.m., Ch. 7

During a break in the Cavs’ schedule last week, LeBron James took off to Miami for a couple of days to work out with former Heat teammate Dwayne Wade. “What do I go there for? Go there ’cause I want to,” James told Cleveland reporters who were curious about this excursion. “I would love to go to L.A., but I’ll take 2½ (hour flight) over 4½. I’ve got a house in L.A. but it makes more sense for me to go South than go West.” True enough, James did recently buy a $21 million six-bedroom house in Brentwood after selling his place in Florida for $13.4 million. So with this only L.A. appearance during the regular season, the league has accommodated him with a four-day excursion. First comes the lovefest that will be LeBron and Kobe Bryant one last time, then more national coverage of James’ Sunday afternoon tea-time with Chuck the Condor.

Also this week for the Clippers: At Dallas (Monday, 5:30 p.m., Prime); at Oklahoma City (Wednesday, 6:30 p.m., ESPN, Prime); vs. New York (Staples Center, Friday, 7:30 p.m.).

NO. 7: HORSE RACING: 79th SANTA ANITA HANDICAP

Details/TV: Saturday at approximately 4:30 p.m., TVG

It’s bittersweet to look back at last year’s $1 million “Big ’Cap,” when the favorite, Shared Belief, overtook Moreno on the final turn and drew away to win by more than four lengths with jockey Mike Smith. Shared Belief died unexpectedly nine months later after complications from colic, otherwise the belief would be that he would be back to defend his title, as Game On Dude did in ’14, Lava Man in ‘07, Milwaukee Brew in ’03 and the great John Henry in ’82. As California Chrome and Hoppertunity have been lured to Dubai for the $10 million race on March 26, and Dortmund is mending from an injury, the horse left to watch in a field thin of star power could be Bolo, a turf specialist that trainer Carla Gaines might steer toward here. Later in the season, the Santa Anita Derby will feature a field of 3-year-olds who aim to be Kentucky Derby hopefuls. But here, it’s 4-year-olds and up who still have glory to gain. Just like Smith, who, for the record, is the winning jockey in the last three events.

NO. 8: TENNIS: BNP PARIBAS OPEN

The importance of the Williams sisters’ return to this event can’t be understated again, and that will be discussed all the way through to the finals of this ATP and WTA event that happen on Sunday, March 30. Nor will the absence of Bud Collins from the game be forgotten, either. The main draws come Tuesday. Maria Sharapova has already pulled out with an injury. And don’t overlook a performance by the Bryan Brothers Band on Thursday (5 p.m.) at the Tennis Garden Village.

NO. 9: MLS: GALAXY at COLORADO

Details/TV: Saturday, 4 p.m.

They still call this home field Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. The Denver Broncos play in Sports Authority Field, but that company just announced bankruptcy. Dick, are you sure you’ve got enough cash to keep this soccer field going?

NO. 10: MLB EXHIBITIONS DODGERS at ANGELS

Details/TV: At Tempe, Ariz., Wednesday, noon, FSW

ANGELS at DODGERS

Details/TV: At Glendale, Ariz., Friday, noon, FSW

Because SportsNet LA won’t show them, and some of you don’t have that channel anyway, figure out a way to consume these non-Freeway Series contests in an orderly manner on your lunch break.

Tom Hoffarth is a freelancer. He had been with the Daily News/Southern California News Group since 1992 as a general assignment sports reporter, columnist and specialist in the sports media. He has been honored by the Associated Press for sports columnists and honored by the Southern California Sports Broadcasters Association for his career work. His favorite sportscaster of all time: Vin Scully, for professional and personal reasons. He considers watching Zenyatta win the Breeders' Cup 2009 Classic to be the most memorable sporting event he has covered in his career. Go figure that.

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